The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)

Much of the allure of the original Dukes of Hazzard television series stems from watching Bo and Luke outrun the law in their famed orange Dodge Charger, the infamous General Lee. With its doors welded shut for stability and the roof of the car supported by three-point roll bars, the General Lee performed jaw-dropping jumps that thrilled legions of fans tuning in for six seasons. With its trademark black ‘01’ on the door the General Lee has become one of the most recognized automobiles in the world.

“There’s a huge Dukes of Hazzard fan base, which is due in great part to the General Lee,” say director Jay Chandrasekhar. “People just love that car. It’s powerful, muscular, and a symbol of American style that has become somewhat lost in the automobile world today. When you get behind the wheel of it, you know it’s going to be loud, proud and fast.”

“I didn’t realize what a huge following the General Lee had until we started the film,” says Johnny Knoxville. “People were everywhere on the streets when we were filming, and I know they weren’t there for Seann or I.” “It’s one badass muscle machine,” says Seann William Scott. “For my generation, it’s the only car everyone wanted.”

The ‘69 Charger 500 was the very definition of a muscle car. Designed for the performance-minded driver, the 500 was built to NASCAR specifications in order to allow the model to race on the stock car circuit. 28 Dodge Chargers had to be found to be converted into the multiple General Lees needed for the film. It turned out that no company produces parts for Dodge Chargers, so parts had to be hunted down on the internet, in junkyards or by word of mouth.

Another challenge was having two versions of the General Lee. The first is a pre-Cooter General Lee which is an old, rusty version that Bo and Luke drive in the beginning of the film and the latter a post-Cooter model, which is the General Lee everyone recognizes.

In addition to canvassing the country to find as many Dodge Chargers as possible, a fleet of over 150 “picture cars” were assembled, which included Jeeps, tow trucks, vintage police cars, rally cars and a 1976 convertible white Cadillac El Dorado driven by Boss Hogg in the film. The Caddy was specially outfitted with Hogg-specific touches, including a set of horns on the front of the car and six-shooter handles that open the doors when the bullet in the chamber is pressed.

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